Members of the Ladies Auxiliary sold raffle tickets during the fundraising event at VFW Post 1839 on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Members of the Ladies Auxiliary sold raffle tickets during the fundraising event at VFW Post 1839 on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Photo: Stephanie Buckner

Community members show support during VFW fundraiser

1 / 3

Back to Gallery

Community members showed their support of local veterans by attending a fundraising event on Saturday, Oct. 3, at VFW Post 1839. Funds have been tight at the post in recent months and a slew of repairs are necessary to maintain the 30-year-old Post hall on FM 2025 in Cleveland.

“We’re really working on getting more people in here and raising awareness within the community,” said Commander Brad Newby. “We want to get more people involved in what we do.”

The VFW organization strives to be a lifeline for and provide support to veterans who return home from combat zones and battles overseas. In recent years, the organization has seen a decline in membership, partly due to a change in the nature of combat and outdated ideals, which the organization has worked diligently to overcome.

“We want to let younger veterans know that this is a place that they can come and they can get that support that they might need and they can feel that camaraderie,” said Newby.

Newby has even started a Facebook page for the post, in an effort to bring the organization “into the 21st century.” Since taking over the position of commander, he has also worked to spark more community involvement with the post and has reached out to other local organizations in hopes of working alongside them in the future.

VFW Post 1839 has recently added wifi services to the building, which is another way to bring in a more diverse crowd.

During the fundraiser, guests were treated to a spaghetti dinner, a live auction and a raffle.

All proceeds from the event will be used for maintenance and upkeep, as well as much-needed repairs to the air conditioning units at the post.

For more information on the organization or to join the VFW, call 281-592-7230.